Socket plug receptacle



Jam-20, 1959 o. J. HALL SOCKET PLUG RECEPTACLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 29, 1954 FIG.9

FIG. ll

FIIG. l2

IN VEN TOR.

J. HALL 0 BYOSCAR FIG. I4 59 Attorney United States SOCKET PLUG RECEPTACLE Oscar J. Hall, Kalamazoo, Mich.

Applicationoctoher 29, 1954, Serial No. 465,463

4 Claims. (Cl. 339-75) My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in a socket plug receptacle which is capable of retaining the prongs of a socket plug in releasable gripping engagement so as to prevent the prongs from coming out of the receptacle due to shock, vibration, or the like.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a socket plug receptacle of this class in which the prongs of a socket plug may be easily and quickly inserted.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a socket plug receptacle of this class in which the socket plug is twisted slightly to effect the release of the plug from the receptacle.

it is a still further object of the present invention to provide a socket plug receptacle of this class which is simple and rugged in structure, economical in manufacture, eificient in use, and pleasing in appearance.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

It is recognized that various modifications and changes may be made in the detail of structure illustrated without departing from the invention and it is intended that the present disclosure shall be considered to be but the preferred embodiment. Y

Forming a part ofv this application are drawings in which:

Fig. l is a top plan view of an illustrative embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end elevational View of the structure illustrated in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the socket plug receptacle illustrated in Fig. 1, and showing the relationship between the operative parts of the illustrated embodiment;

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the base plate of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 5',

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal central sectional view of the housing portion of the illustrative embodiment taken along the line 77 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal central section of the invention similar to Fig. 7 taken along the line 88 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 9 is a transverse central sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 4 taken along the line 9-9 thereof;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the support strap employed in the invention;

Fig. 11 is a bottom plan view of the fixed contacts employed in the invention;

Fig. 12 is an elevational view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a bottom plan view of the spring contacts employed in the invention; and

Fig. 14 is an elevational view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 13.

The invention comprises a hollow housing embodying the top wall 21 in which are formed the slots 22, 23,

.24 and 25, said slots being adapted to form a pair of re- 2,76,425 Patented Jan. 20, was

ceptacles for a socket plug. As is best seen in Fig. 1,- the two inwardly disposed slots 23 and 24 are provided with a lateral extension to provide a larger slot whereby a socket plug may be twisted to aid in the release of said plug from the receptacle. The housing 20 is preferably made from a suitable plastic and the top wall 21 may be molded integral with a pair of side walls as 28 and 29, and a pair of end walls as 30 and 31. The housing is rounded at the corners, as indicated by the numeral 32, and is provided with a depressed edge, as shown at 33, on which may be seated a face plate (not shown).

The housing side wall 29 is provided with an inwardly extending recess 34 in which is formed a downwardly extending U-shaped wall portion35. As shown in Fig. 7, a pair of slots 36 and 37 are provided adjacent the U- shaped wall portion 35, said slots extending inwardly and communicating with the hollow interior 38 of the housing 2%. The U-shaped side wall portion 35 is pro-' vided with a cut-out. designated by the numeral 39 in which is seated a contact member, more fully described hereinafter. Disposed laterally in the housing 20 from the U-shaped wall portion 35 is a pair of hollow chambers 4t) and 41, which function to lighten the housing.

Slidably mounted in the recess 34 is a U-shaped support bracket 42 extending inwardly through the slots 36 and 37 and carrying a pair of fixed contacts 43. The contacts 43 are substantially U-shaped in cross section and are fixed to the support bracket 42 by means of the vertical arms 44. bracket 42 is adapted to abut the U-shaped' wall portion 35 and the vertical arms 44 are adapted to' abut the inner wall 45. A contact screw 46 is provided to secure the conductor line 47 to the supporting bracket 42. It will be obvious that the support bracket 42 functions as a conductor between the contacts 43 and the conduct-or line 47. The fixed contacts 43 are disposed immediately below the slots 23 and 24.

The housing side wall 28 is provided with a recess 43 in which is disposed a second U-shaped wall portion 49 having a cut-out 50. A pair of inwardly extending slots 51' and 52 connect the recess 48 with a pair of hollow chambers 53 and 54 respectively. Slidably mounted in the recess 48 is a longitudinally extending conductor 55 having inwardly extending arms 55a disposed in the slots 51 and 52. The inwardly extending arms 55a are adapted to carry a pair of substantially U-shaped spring contacts 56 and 57 disposed in the hollow chambers 53 and 54 respectively and beneath the slots 22 and 25. As is shown in Fig. 14, the ends 58 and 59 of the U-shaped spring contacts 56'and 57 are tapered as designated by the numerals 60 and 61, respectively. The conductor 55 is provided with'an aperture 62 in which is threadably mounted a contact screw 63 adapted to secure a conductor line, as 64, thereto.

A. compression spring 65 is disposed in the chamber 38 and abuts the inside surface of the U-shaped wall section 49, at one end. The other end of the spring 65 abuts the fiber strip 66 and urges said strip inwardly towards the fixed contacts 43. The outer ends of the fiber strip engage abutments, as at 67, which'are located on the inner walls, as at 68. The abutments 67 function to limit the inward movement of the fiber strip 66.

The housing end walls 30 and 31 are provided with recesses 69 which open downwardly and are each provided with a vertical aperture 70. The recesses 69 are adapted to slidably receive the upwardly extending shoulders 71 which are integral with the base plate 72, and this is best seen in Figs. 5 and 6. The shoulders 71 are provided with apertures, as 73, extending axially therethrough and adapted to meet with the apertures 70 to provide a hole in which a rivet (not shown) is mounted to hold the base plate '72 to the housing 20.

As is best seen in Fig. 4, the support d) The base plate 72 is provided with inwardly extending recesses, as shown by the numerals 74 and 75. The recesses 74 and 75 are shaped similarly to the recesses 34- and 48, respectively, in the housing 20. The base plate 72 is provided with a longitudinally extending groove 76 in which is carried a support strap 77 for holding the receptacle in a building wall. The support strap comprises a longitudinal part, as 78, to which is connected a pair of upwardly extending parts 79 carrying on the upper ends thereof a connection plate, as 80, in each of which is provided a pair of apertures for the reception of the screws to hold the receptacle to the building wall.

The housing 20 and the base plate 72 may each be molded from a suitable plastic. The fixed contacts 45 are preferably made from a non-flexible metallic material, while the spring contacts may be made from any suitable resilient metallic material.

In use, the invention may be mounted in a building wall in the usual manner. A conventional socket plug may be mounted in the receptacle by merely thrusting the prongs into the slots 24 and 25 in the usual manner. As the prongs of the socket plug are thrust into the slots 24 and 25, one of the prongs will engage the fixed contact 43 and be cammed sidewardly into engagement with the spring biased fiber strip 66; the other prong will slidably engage the spring contact 58. When the prongs of the socket plug have been fully inserted into the slots 24 and 25, they are releasably gripped therein by the action of the spring biased fiber strip 66 abutting the side of the prong in the slot 24 and forcing it against the fixed contact 43, It will be seen that the spring biased fiber strip 66 functions to prevent the socket plug from being accidentally knocked out of the receptacle by a shock or the like.

What I claim is:

1. A socket plug receptacle of the class described, comprising: a housing; said housing including a pair of side walls integral with a top wall; a pair of aligned transverse slots formed in said top wall adjacent each end thereof and extending therethrough; each of said pair of slots including an inner slot and an outer slot; a conductor bracket mounted in one of said walls and being provided with a pair of inwardly extending arms; a pair of fixed contacts on said arms disposed to align with the inner slots of said pairs of slots; a movable spring biased means for yieldably biasing a prong of a socket plug into a gripping engagement with either of said fixed contacts; a second conductor bracket mounted in the other of said side walls and having a pair of inwardly extending arms thereon; a substantially U-shaped spring contact carried by each of the arms of said second concluctor bracket, said spring contacts being disposed outwardly of said fixed contacts and in alignment with the outer slots of said pairs of slots; said contacts coacting with said slots to form a pair of socket receptacles for double pronged socket plugs.

2. A socket plug receptacle of the class described, com prising: a housing; said housing including a pair of side walls integral with a top wall; a pair of aligned trans verse slots formed in said top wall adjacent each end thereof and extending therethrough; each of said pair of slots including an inner slot and an outer slot; a con ductor bracket mounted in one of said walls and being provided with a pair of inwardly extending arms; a pair of fixed contacts on said arms disposed to align with the inner slots of said pairs of slots; a movable spring biased means for yieldably biasing a prong of a socket plug into a gripping engagement with either of said fixed contacts; 2 .SCOZ'JEi conductor bracket mounted in the other of said side walls and having a pair of inwardly extending arms thereon; a substantially U-shaped spring contact carried by each of the arms of said second conductor bracket, said spring contacts being disposed outwardly of said ed contacts and in alignment with the outer slots of said pairs of slots; said inner slots having a laterally offset extension to effect easy release of a socket prong therefrom; said contacts coacting with said slots to form a pair of socket receptacles for double pronged s cket plugs. v

3. in a duplex attachment plug receptacle, in comlination, a molded insulating housing provided with partitions to form a central chamber and an end chamber on each end of said central chamber; a pair of spaced apart contacts fixedly mounted on one side of said central chamber; a movable member in said central chamber; a spring in said central chamber adapted to bias said movable member toward said fixed contacts for holding one prong of a socket plug therebetween; a groove formed in said housing on the side thereof opposite to said spaced apart contacts to afford communication between said end chambers; a conductor bar mounted in said groove having a flexible contact on each end thereof and being disposed in said end chambers for engagement with the other prong of a socket plug.

4. A socket plug receptacle of the class described, comprising: a housing; a pair of transverse slots at each end thereof and extending therethrough; a pair of spaced fixed contacts in said housing on one side thereof in alignment with and spanning the inner slots of said pairs of slots; a movable spring biased means disposed on the other side of the housing opposite said pair of fixed contacts for yieldably biasing a prong of a socket plug into a gripping engagement with one of said fixed contacts; and a pair of spring contacts disposed outwardly of said fixed contacts and in alignment with the outer slots of said pairs of slots; said contacts coacting with said slots to form a pair of socket plug receptacles for double pronged socket plugs,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS i 2,001,990 Tregoning May 21, 19 5 2,132,851 Johnson Oct. 11, 19 8 2,215,316 Benander Sept. 17, 1940 2,492,616 Bohnson Dec. 27, 194-9 2,706,803 Templeton Apr. 19, 1955 

